ECHL Coaches BiographyNick Vitucci – Toledo Storm

This is the 21st in a series of biographies on the head coaches of the 25 teams in the ECHL in 2005-06.

ECHL.com will post a different coach’s biography each weekday at 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.

Nick Vitucci is in his second full season as head coach and director of player personnel for Toledo, having been named to the position on May 12, 2004.

In his first full season in 2004-05, the Storm was 41-26-5 and returned to the postseason for the 11th time in 14 seasons, earning Vitucci the ECHL Coach of the Year award. He initially took over behind the bench as interim head coach on January 26, 2004 as Toledo went 14-27-8 in the final 49 regular season games.

Vitucci, who played for Toledo from 1993-95, has won five ECHL championships – four as a player (1989, 1990, 1994 and 1996) and one as an assistant coach (2002) – which is more than any other individual in league history. The 38-year-old Vitucci holds the ECHL career goaltender records for games (479), minutes (27,291), wins (265), 20-win seasons (7) and consecutive 30-win seasons (2) while he is tied for the career lead in 30-win seasons (2) and consecutive 20-win seasons (4). Named to the ECHL 15th Anniversary Team in 2003, Vitucci holds the ECHL postseason goaltender records for games (80), minutes (4,841) and wins (43) while ranking third among all players in games (80). He was named First-Team All-ECHL in 1991-92 and 1997-98 and was named Goaltender of the Year in 1997-98. He was named Most Valuable Player in both the 1989 and the 1996 Riley Cup Playoffs.

Vitucci and his wife, Dawn, reside in Lambertville, Michigan with their son, Keegan.